Unexpected Crossing
by evadere
Summary: Religion? Kaiba could care less about it, but that doesn't explain why he ended up here. . . SetoxJoey


Unexpected Crossing

Synopsis: Religion? Kaiba could care less about it, but that doesn't explain why he ended up here. . . (SetoxJoey)

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God. Angels. Religion. Seto Kaiba didn't know about any of those things and he hardly gave a damn. The devil? Well, he might know a thing or two about him. He had Gozaburo to thank for that. Power. Deception. Money. Those were things he was all too familiar with. If he was a religious man, he should probably should start worrying about his impending afterlife in hell. Except that he wasn't religious.

So why the hell was he standing in front of this one, random church? He had been walking down the street, hardly taking in the movement around him. New York is the city that never sleeps after all. Not that he noticed or cared.

Standing there, looking up that the stone architecture before him, Seto Kaiba glared at the big wooden doors. His trench coat billowed around him, the cool night's winds howling softly. Why? He had been walking and then had stopped. Rather suddenly. This resulted in an elderly woman colliding with the billionaire, who then endured quite a scolding.

Seto had been rather flustered, and not because of the old lady. If he hadn't kept his patience, he probably would have snapped her cane in half. None of that mattered at the moment though. Here he was, in front of a church. Why? It sounded insane that he just had a feeling… Seto Kaiba did not get those. His thinking was based on reason.

So what reason could he possibly have for standing in front of some church he has never seen, this late at night? He could think of one, but he would rather not. Sighing he made his way up the steps and slowly pushed open the doors.

From the outside, the church seemed rather small, yet the arched, looming ceiling seemed impossibly high. He stood at the church's entrance for several moments, as if transfixed once again, before taking a glance around the church. It was empty and silent. At the other end, in front of the altar, several candles were lit, covering the church with a flickering ambience. Several colors danced along the pews, the moonlight playing with the stained glass windows. His footsteps echoed, slicing through the thick silence. Making his way up the aisle, a confession booth on the right caught his eye. The pew in front of it had a rather peculiar looking jacket hung over it. Once he reached the altar, he took a moment to just stare at the many candle's flames dwindling in the dark.

The shutting of the confessional booth's door brought him back to attention.

"See ya same time next week, father…" Turning around, Kaiba took several step toward the booth. Someone had just stepped out, their back to him. The said person scratched the back of his head with leisure, before taking a seat next to his jacket. Kaiba stopped at the pew before him, leaning his hip on it slightly. Once the seated man glanced up and met the other man's eyes, neither of them could cover up the surprise in each other's eyes.

"I have to say, Moneybags, I never would have pegged you for the cross wearing type…," closing his eyes briefly, Joey Wheeler tried not to laugh. His arms were stretched out to his sides, his hands atop the pew. Resting against it as if it were quite natural, he sighed. He cocked his head to the side, awaiting a response from the brunette.

"Isn't there some rule about letting dogs inside of here?" Kaiba tried his hardest to glare at Joey while he said this, but he couldn't quite achieve it. What appeared on his face was something of a smirk. They just stared at each other for a moment, and then Joey bowed his head down slightly. The priest in the booth emerged, and bowed his head in acknowledgement. He left them alone, making his way up a flight of stairs off to the side of the altar. Joey brought his head up, gave a wave to the priest and proceeded to cross his legs. Kaiba cleared his throat, so that Joey would get the idea and move over.

He didn't. All the blonde did was flash a cheeky smile and start searching his jacket pockets. Kaiba tried not to look to annoyed, and just took it upon himself to shove the mutt out of the way so he could take a seat. Several insults were passed between the two; Kaiba's face calm as usual while Joey's was clearly frustrated. Then they lapsed into silence. Again.

As Joey continued to search his pockets, Kaiba watched, with a somewhat dismal expression on his face. He opened his mouth to speak, but shut it quickly. From his left jacket pocket, Joey pulled out a silver looking container, that resembled a compact. He opened it and set on his other side. He then turned back to his jacket, and searched the other pocket. Looking away, Seto's eyes roamed the quiet church, noting the raindrops colliding with the stained glass windows. It was raining that day too . . .

"It was raining that day too. Of course, I don't need to remind you, I'm sure you remember." Joey paused from his search, taking a good luck at the man beside him. Kaiba nodded silently. Another long pause. Yet neither of the two minded, for it was a comfortable one, even if it was between the two of them. Putting his hands together, Kaiba leaned his body forward slightly, and bowed his head. Instead of closing his eyes, he shifted his glance towards Joey, and with the softest expression he could muster without breaking down completely, he spoke.

"It get's lonely… doesn't it?"

Joey stared at him, and felt his eyes moisten. Blinking back the memories of the past few years, he laughed softly. The laugh was one of bitterness, one that Kaiba knew all too well. Unable to give a response, Joey resumed his search, until he found what he was looking for.

Seto kept his eyes on Joey, watching him place a cigarette between his lips and then lighting it. He continued to watch as the end of it began to glow fiercely, and Joey breathed in, his eyes closed. Turning his eyes away, he heard Joey exhale, the smoke clouding around them. He wondered briefly if smoking was even allowed in a church, before turning his eyes back to Wheeler. The blonde surprised him, in his current position.

Eyes closed, kneeling down, head bowed, hands clasped together, and the cigarette dangling from his lips, Joey Wheeler was praying.

Seto was at an utter lost at what to do.

Feeling Kaiba's eyes on him, Joey suggested that he try doing the same thing.

For once in his life, Seto Kaiba listened to Joey Wheeler.

Gripping his hands together and bowing his head, Seto attempted to pray. He remained seated, and kept his eyes on the candles up at the altar. He didn't know any prayers in particular, or any prayers at all actually. So he thought of that day. He thought of Mokuba. He even thought about Yugi and the gang. He seemed to have sat there for an eternity, just sifting through his thoughts, his past, his regrets, his life….

"Makes you feel lighter in a way doesn't it? Not that the weight ever goes away. I find that this place helps though." Joey's voice was a whisper, but it was enough to grab Seto's attention. Putting his hands to his sides, Seto let out the breath he had apparently been holding. "This is usually where you should make the sign of the cross… eh, never mind…," taking another drag from his cigarette, Joey grinned. Seto gave him a quizzical look, having no idea what Joey was talking about. Amused by the look on Kaiba's face, Joey just chuckled and tapped his cigarette into the 'compact', which Seto realized was a portable ashtray.

They sat next to each other for some time, and even ended up having a conversation that didn't consist of mainly name calling. Wheeler had gone through two cigarettes and had just lit his third when Seto intervened.

"You shouldn't smoke."

Joey almost jumped from surprise, but instead of taking a drag, snuffed the cigarette out in the ashtray, before shutting it. After placing it back into his jacket pocket, he relaxed against the pew, his head turned towards the brunette.

"And you shouldn't care."

Seto turned his head to face the blonde and was met with a sincere smile. As they both stood up, they began to make their way to the doors in silence. They walked side by side, shoulders brushing, and neither of them minded. Once they stepped outside, Joey looked up and closed his eyes, enjoying the scent of rain for once in so many years. Shivering slightly, he glanced at Kaiba. The brunette was watching him, and once Joey turned to him, he nodded his head and began walking. Joey followed, and upon passing a garbage can, he threw out his cigarettes and the portable ashtray.

As he caught up to the brunette, it was his turn to be met with a sincere smile.

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The End

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a/n: I made Joey a smoker for plot purposes. Seriously, smoking is terrible.


End file.
